Brandeis Admits Mistake, Continues Confusion

In a welter of mixed messages, Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz admitted mistakes in his handling of the Rose Museum closure, back-tracked slightly but did little to clarify the universities intentions. All of this continues to validate Donn Zaretsky of The Art Law Blog‘s conjecture that museum “closure” was an attempt to get around the AAMD guidelines and sell a few works.

Michael Steinhardt, a university trustee, said he doesn’t know if the museum should remain open and he has confidence in Reinharz’s leadership. “For him and Brandeis, it’s been a public relations nightmare and he recognized that and he’s doing his best to ameliorate that,” Steinhardt said. “When you make a mistake, you have to figure out how to talk to your constituency and acknowledge that you made a mistake and go on.” [ . . . ]

While the building that houses the museum will remain open, the school in Waltham, Massachusetts, has not yet determined what will be inside. Brandeis may sell some of its art if necessary, “but I assure you other options will also be considered,” school President Jehuda Reinharz said in a letter to students, faculty and alumni yesterday.

Museum officials said they haven’t been informed that it would operate as it has for 48 years. Michael Rush, the museum’s director, said he was told yesterday by the provost that his job and those of his staff would end on June 30. The chairman of the museum’s board of overseers, Jonathan Lee, said Reinharz’s statement is window dressing.